ARTICLE: "Tata, Jaguar/Land Rover not such an odd couple: Indian company has been in auto business for 50 years," by Sharon Silke Carty, USA Today, 28 May 2008, p. 1A.

I swear to God I saw a Nano, Tata's new car, in North Carolina last week. I have no idea how it got there, but I swear I saw one.

Even if it was a mirage, the vision was a harbinger—in global terms. Tata aims to produce for the bottom of the pyramid consumers, and all those sales will mean Tata becomes a global car kingpin. And global auto kingpins buy upscale brands to complete their offerings. This happens all the time in consumer goods industries, and it will happen here. It's just that this time, it won't be American companies in the lead, because car manufacturing tends to be driven by rising economic pillars, not mature ones.

So get used to the Tata name. Somewhere down the road it'll be on your car's grill.